The AKC is a “club of clubs,” represented by a delegate body responsible for making the decisions that determine how our sport and our kennel club are run. Best In Show Daily’s Senior Editor Christi McDonald introduces you to the central role the delegates play in setting policy for American Kennel Club-affiliated conformation, obedience, agility, hunting and performance events. Find out how delegates representing just over 500 member clubs work to consider the views and opinions of everyone involved in the dog sport.

In today’s Down and Back, Social Media Maven Pilar Kuhn considers some of the many “tools” handlers use to get the best ring performance from their dogs. Their bags of tricks contain just about anything necessary – from squeaky toys to soft drinks – to keep their dogs focused, safe and in winning form.

Be sure to click on our banner ads highlighting many of this year’s top-winning show dogs, like the one for ‘Stone’ on the right. These gorgeous microsites present each dog’s career through unlimited photos and videos that accompany a complete, up-to-the-minute track record of wins.

Dan SayersEditor in Chief

Who Runs the AKC Dog Sport? A Beginning Look at the AKC DelegatesBy Christi McDonald

If you’ve ever wondered who makes decisions about how our sport and our kennel club are run, the AKC delegate body is, technically speaking, the answer. Almost 5,000 American Kennel Club-affiliated clubs offer conformation, obedience, agility, hunting or other performance events, but just over 500 of those are AKC member clubs. Each member club is represented by a delegate, and the AKC Board of Directors is elected solely from the delegate body.

Although most fanciers don’t give much thought to the AKC delegates today, more than a century ago when the American Kennel Club was formed, the majority of people who were active in the sport belonged to a club. The position of delegate was created so that the views and opinions of everyone involved in the dog sport could be heard and considered. more

Tricks of the TradeBy Pilar Kuhn

Dog show spectators who spend any time around a ring will see handlers and assistants with all sorts of small items in their hands. Spray bottles, squeaky toys and towels, to name a few.

I’m always intrigued by the questions spectators ask as they try to make sense of the interaction between handlers and their dogs in the ring. Some handlers have a fake mouse that squeaks. Others have chicken in their pockets. Visitors have to be asking themselves, “Why?”

We want our dogs to show the best they can. Move cleanly. Show expression. Focus, focus, focus! One way to do that is with “bait” like chicken, steak, Great Bait, hot dogs, whatever works. more